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A. J.' SHIPLEY. BUTTON.

No. 437,003. Patented s010023, 1800.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. SHIPLEY, OF l/VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE SCOVILI. MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BUTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,003, dated September 23, 1890.

Application filed November 14, 1889. Serial No. 330,311. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. SHrPLEY,of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a newlinprovementin Button-Fasteners; andI do herebydeclare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and, represent, in

Figure 1, a side view of the button as applied, the material to which the button is attached shown in section; Fig. 2, an enlarged central section of the same; Fig. 3, an enlarged central section of the buttony detached; Fig. 4, aperspective view of the fastener detached, enlarged; Fig. 5, a central section through the head of the fastener, showing side view of the legs. Fig. 6 illustrates the operation of securing the button; Figs. 7, 8, 9, and l0, modications.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of button-fasteners which consist of a metal-back button on one side, with a fastener introduced-from the opposite side to engage the button, and particularly to that class in which the fastening device consists of a head provided with several projecting prongs which pass through the material to which the button is to be attached, the back of the button being constructed with holes corresponding to the said prongs, and so that the button sets onto the prongs. are turned down upon the inside of the button, so as to interlock the button with the fastening. In applying such buttons it is necessary that the button shall be set upon the fastener so that `the prongs mayproperly enter the holes prepared for them. In setting such buttons by machinery a very considerable difficulty is experienced in placing the button so that its openings will register with thevprongs. If they do not so register, then the prongs are deflected and bent by the solid portion of the back of the button and the fastening is ruined, and not only this, but the bending of the prongs makes the removal of the fastening preparatory to the introduction of a new one difficult.

The prongsv The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties and produce abutton of this class so that the prongs are adapted to-make their own perforations through the back of the button, and so that the care required in applying buttons in which the back is pierced prior to attachment will be avoided; and the invention consist-s in the construction of the button and fastener, as more fully hereinaft-er described.

In the best construction of the button it is composed of three parts, (see Fig. 3:) a metal back A, a front B, and an interior anvil C. The back is constructed with a central projection to form a shank D, and so as to present a substantially flat unperforated central bearing E for the seat of the button. The anvil is constructed so as to present a central concave surface F, which stands directly over that unperforated surface of the shank D. The face of the button is a disk closed over the edge of the back in the usual manner for forming buttons and so as to bear upon the anvil, the size of the anvil being such as to take a bearing in the back of the button, sov as to prevent diametrical movement in either direction. This completes the button.

The fastener consists of a U-shaped wirev staple,` the two legs a b of which (see Fig. 4) are pointed, the length of the legs being considerably greater than the thickness of the material to Which the button is to be attached. This staple is'provided with a head consist` ing of a flat disk d, pierced corresponding to the legs a b, and through which the legs are set so as to bring thebend e of the wire against the inner surface of the disk el. Over the bend a metal cap f is applied, the edges of which are closed around the edge of the disk d, so as to unite the diskand cap, as clearly seen in Fig. 5. The legs of the fastener are parallel and distant from each other less than the width of the bearing-faceE of the shank. This completes the fastener.

The button may be` attached by applying to the respective surfaces of the material either the fastener or the button. As illustrated in Fig. 6, the button is first applied land set in its required position on the surface of the material G to which it is to be attached.

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The fastener is then applied to the reverse side with its points toward that surface, as also seen in Fig. 6, the fastener and button being in their proper relation to each other. Force now applied to bring the button and fastener toward each other will cause the legs of the fastener to pass through the material G, and then striking the face of the shank of the button, will pierce that face and pass through to the inside of the button. There the points strike the inclined surface of the anvil and are accordingly turned down between the anvil and the inner side of the shank of the button, as seen in Fig. 2, thus rmly securing the button.

The application of thebutton and the fastening is usually made by machinery adapted to the purpose, so that they will be properly presented each to the other; but, because the back of the button is without perferations and the legs of the fastener are adapted to pierce that back, no care need be exercised to bring the button to any other position than a central one, which position is readily found. The legs pierce their own holes irrespective of what part of the back of the shank is presented to them.

lVhile I prefer to construct the button with the face B, which covers the anvil and gives a neat appearance to the button, a good result may be obtained by omitting the face and closing the metal back and anvil together, as seen in Fig. 7, so that the anvil forms the face of the button. Both the anvil and face may be omitted, as represented in Fig. 8. In this case the button is composed of the metalback portion only, its edge being preferably turned over to give it a finish, as seen in Fig. S. In attaching this button it is applied in the same manner as before described; but the prongs must be turned down upon the face side, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 8, which is readily done by any suitable instru ment. It may be the die which holds the button for the application of the fastener.

In some classes of buttons a long shank is desirable, as seen in Fig. 9. In this case an unpierced false metal back 1I is introduced within the button and there held and the fasteners applied in the saine manner. The prongs, passing through the shank to the false back and piercing that back, are turned down upon the inside, as seeninbroken lines, Fig. 9.

It will be understood that, as usual in metalbutton making, the face may be closed onto the back or the back onto the face without departing from this invention.

Vhile two legs are all that are essential or practically desirable to the fastener, more legs may be employed should occasion seem to require, as seen in Fig. l0,\vhere four legs are represented.

From the foregoing itwill be understood that I do not claim, broadly, a button secured by a' fastener having prongs extending through the material and into the button, the entering ends of the prongs deilected or turned downward Within the button; but

l. A pantaloon-button having an unpierced sheet-metal back or one without thread-holes, combined with a fastener consisting of a head with wire prongs projecting therefrom, the said prongs pointed and adapted to pierce said metal back so as to form holes for the entrance of the legs of the fastener in attaehin g the button, substantiallyas described.

. 2. A button having a sheetmetal back constructed with a centrally-projectin g shank, the said shank presenting substantially a flat and unpierced metal bearing-surface, an anvil secured upon t-he said back and in front of said unpierced bearing-surface, the said anvil constructed with a concave central surface toward the interior surface of the said unpierced shank, and a fastener composed of a head with two or more wire legs projecting therefrom, the said legs pointed and adapted to pierce their own holes through the said unperforated central bearing of the shank, and the said anvil adapted to deflect the said legs as they pass through the perforations so made in the back of the button, substantially as described.

3. A button-fastener consisting of two legs a b, formed from a single piece of Wire, the bend c, connecting the legs at one end, the other ends pointed, a met-al disk d, pierced, and through which the said legs pass, so as to bring the said bend substantially against one surface of the said disk, and a cap f over the said bend, the said cap and disk closed together around their edges and so that the said bend e is inclosed between t-he said cap and disk, substantially as described.

ALFRED J. SIIIPLEY. lVitnesses:

T. R. HYDE, Jr., C. M. DE Mo'rr.

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